Automatically adjusting media display in a personal display system

ABSTRACT

A personal display system with which a user may adjust the configuration of displayed media is provided. The personal display system may include an electronic device operative to provide media to a personal display device operative to display the media. Using one or more optical and digital components, the personal display device may adjust displayed media to overlay features of a theater, thus giving the user the impression of being in the theater. In some embodiments, the personal display device may receive a user selection of a seat in the theater, and may adjust the media display accordingly. In some embodiments, the personal display device may detect the user&#39;s movements using one or more sensors and may adjust the displayed image based on the user&#39;s movements. For example, the device may detect a user&#39;s head movement and cause the portion of media displayed to reflect the head movement.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Prest et al., U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 60/927,624 (Attorney Docket No. 104677-0094),filed May 4, 2007, entitled “Head-Mounted Display,” the entirety ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference.

This application also claims priority to Fadell et al., U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/010,126 (Attorney Docket No. 104677-0112),filed Jan. 3, 2008, entitled “Adjusting Media Display in a PersonalDisplay system,” the entirety of which is incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a personal display system and moreparticularly to adjusting media displayed in a personal display system.Using personal display systems, users are not restrained by staticdisplays, such as televisions or desktop computers, and may insteadcarry their media and view it anywhere. Because of their relative smallsize, which enhances portability, some personal display systems displaymedia in the configuration in which it is provided by the media source,without any adjustments or modifications.

Other personal display systems may include a screen on which the usermay view media, and which the user may zoom to adjust the display. Oncezoomed, the user may select directional keys or other options to movethe displayed media to access portions of the media that were hiddenfrom view as a result of the zoom. While such systems may allow the userto move the media screen, the interface for doing so may be complex,cumbersome, and non-intuitive.

Some personal display systems may ignore user head movements, and maycontinue to display the same media on the media screen without anychange in configuration. In some cases, the user's eyes may be fatiguedfrom staring at the same location on the media after viewing the mediafor a period of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Using the personal display device of this invention, users may adjustthe media that is displayed to cater to the user's desires. In someembodiments, the user may direct the personal display device to zoom inor out the displayed media. For example, the user may direct thepersonal display device to play back a video while displaying only aportion of the video (e.g., the portion of the video available forviewing after zooming).

In some embodiments, the user may further adjust the media display ofthe personal display device by masking parts of the media and adding anoverlay on a portion of the media display. For example, the user mayselect a theater, stadium, performance hall, or other location forviewing performances, and direct the personal display device to overlaythe outlines of the selected location on the displayed media. In someembodiments, the user may select a particular theater or location toview media as if the user were in the selected theater. To furtherenhance the user's belief that the user is in the selected theater withother patrons, the personal display device may display outlines of otherpatrons in addition to the outlines of the theater. The outlines ofother patrons may be operative to move to further increase the realismof the display.

In some embodiments, the user may select a particular seat or locationwithin the theater from which to watch the media. For example, thepersonal display device may display a seating map from which the usermay select a particular seat. In response to receiving a selection of aseat, the personal display device may adjust the displayed media to givethe user the impression that the media is viewed from the selected seat.For example, the personal display device may skew or stretch thedisplayed media to reflect a user's selection of a seat on the side ofthe theater. As another example, the personal display device may modifythe display of a sporting event to reflect the seat in the stadium fromwhich the user selected to watch the event.

In some embodiments, the personal display device may be operative todisplay a mosaic of a plurality of media items, for which the user mayselect to view a particular media item. For example, in response to auser selection of a particular media item from the mosaic, the personaldisplay device may zoom to the selected media item, and may mask themedia items other than the selected media item. The personal displaydevice may superimpose any suitable type of overlay over the mask.

In addition to adjusting the displayed media, the personal displaydevice may be operative to adjust other characteristics of played backmedia. For example, the personal display device may adjust the soundoutput to the user to reflect the acoustics of a selected theater, or toreflect the user's selected location within the theater. As anotherexample, the personal display device may introduce additional noise toreflect the environment in which the user may be viewing the media(e.g., a sports stadium).

When the user directs the personal display device to adjust thedisplayed media such that the entirety of the media provided cannot bedisplayed on the display (e.g., the user zoomed in the display), thepersonal display device may enable an option by which the user may movehis head, eyes, or another body part to cause the portion of the mediadisplayed to follow the user's movement. The personal display device maydetect and quantify the user's movement using any suitable approach,including for example by integrating one or more sensors in the personaldisplay device. Upon receiving an indication of a user's movement fromthe sensors, the personal display device may determine the amount andspeed of the users' movement, and direct the displayed media to move byan amount and at a speed related to those of the user's movement. Insome embodiments, the correlation between the user's movement and themedia display adjustments may be non-linear. In some embodiments, afterdetecting the user's movement, the personal display device may delaymoving the displayed media. This may assist in reducing a user's eyefatigue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like referencecharacters refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a personal display device inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a personal display system in accordancewith one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a simplified block diagram of an illustrative personaldisplay device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of an illustrative display screen forselecting a new viewing position in accordance with one embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of an illustrative display screen forselecting seats in a theater in accordance with one embodiment of theinvention;

FIGS. 6A-6E show illustrative display screens for adjusting the mediadisplay in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of an illustrative process for adjusting themedia display in response to user inputs in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of successive personal display devicedisplays displayed to reduce eye fatigue in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of an illustrative process for adjusting themedia display of a personal display device in response to sensor outputsin accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a personal display device inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Personaldisplay device 100 may include mid-frame 102, outer cover 104, innercover 106, mounting frame 108, foam 110 and interface 112. Mid-frame 102may form the outer support structure for personal display device 100.Mid-frame 102 may be formed from any suitable material that may supportthe components of personal display device 100. In some embodiments,mid-frame 102 may be formed from a material selected from materialscapable of withstanding impacts or shocks to protect the components ofpersonal display device 100. In some embodiments, mid-frame 102 may beformed from a material selected from lightweight materials for a user'scomfort. Suitable materials may include, for example, compositematerials, plastics, metals, and metal alloys (e.g., steel, stainlesssteel, aluminum, titanium, or magnesium-based alloys).

Outer cover 104 may be coupled to mid-frame 102 to form the outersurface of personal display device 100. Outer cover 104 may be formedfrom any suitable material including, for example, glass, plastic,ceramic, metal (e.g., polished aluminum), or any other suitablematerial. Outer cover 104 may be any suitable shape. In the exampleshown in FIG. 1, outer cover 104 is a curved surface that generallyfollows the contours of a user's face. In some embodiments, however,outer cover 104 may be a planar or substantially planar surface. In someembodiments, outer cover 104 may be formed from several pieces that arecombined (e.g., and held in place by mid-frame 102).

Inner cover 106 may form the support structure for the displaygeneration components of personal display device 100. Inner cover 106may be formed from any suitable material. Such materials may include,for example, plastic, composite materials, metal or metallic alloys(e.g., aluminum), combinations thereof, or any other suitable material.In some embodiments, a material that is simultaneously lightweight andstrong enough to support mounting frame 108 and display generationcomponents may be selected. In some embodiments, the material selectedfor inner cover 106 may be such that inner cover 106 may be flexed tomore closely approximate the contours of a user's face. In someembodiments, the material selected may be a plastic.

Mounting frame 108 may be coupled to inner cover 106 and may include orhave mounted an adjusting mechanism and an optical module for providingmedia for the user. Mounting frame 108 may be a rigid frame forsupporting the display generation components of personal display device100. Mounting frame 108 may be formed from any suitable material. Forexample, mounting frame 108 may be formed from plastic, a compositematerial, a metal or metallic alloy (e.g., aluminum), or any othersuitable material, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments,mounting frame 108 may be configured to remain substantially immobilerelative to a user's eyes when inner cover 106 and foam 110 are moved(e.g., to more closely fit the contours of a user's face).

Mounting frame 108 may be coupled to inner cover 106 using any suitableapproach. For example, mounting frame 108 may be coupled to inner cover106 using an adhesive, tape, a fastener (e.g., a screw or a bold andnut), an interlocking mechanism (e.g., a snap-fit), or any othersuitable approach.

Foam 110 may be attached to inner cover 106 to provide a comfortable fitfor the user. Foam 110 may be formed by first creating a skin, forexample by vacuum forming. The skin may be any suitable material thatmay be used in vacuum forming. Once the skin has been created, foam oranother spongy material may be applied to the skin to form foam 110. Theamount of foam applied to the vacuum formed skin may be varied to varythe thickness of foam 110. In some embodiments, different types of foammay be applied to vary the density of foam 110.

User interface 112 may be attached to outer cover 104 to allow the userto control adjustments of the displayed media. For example, the user maypress a button to toggle between enabling and disabling movement of themedia display based on user movements. As another example, the user maypress a button of user interface 112 to change the user's perspective ofthe displayed media (e.g., change the virtual position of the user in atheater).

FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a personal display system in accordancewith one embodiment of the invention. Personal display system 200 mayinclude personal display device 202, electronic device 204, andcommunications network 206. Personal display device 202 may usecommunications network 206 to perform wireless and/or wiredcommunications with one or more electronic devices within communicationsnetwork 206. Although personal display system 200 may include several ofpersonal display devices 202 and electronic devices 204, only one ofeach is shown in FIG. 2 to avoid overcomplicating the drawing. Forexample, personal display system 200 may include several personaldisplay devices 202 coupled to one electronic device 204. As anotherexample, personal display system 200 may include one personal displaydevice 202 coupled to several electronic devices 204 in communicationwith each other (e.g., for multi-person video games).

Personal display device 202 may be implemented in or as any type ofdisplay system such as, for example, a head mounted display, atelevision, a projection screen, an on-screen display of an electronicdevice, personal viewers and viewfinders found on camcorders and digitalcameras, or any other suitable display system. In some embodiments, thepersonal display device may simulate the experience of watching a moviein a movie theater. In some embodiments, several personal displaydevices may simulate the experience of playing in a multi-player videogame. For example, users may be different passengers in a racecar ordrivers of different cars. Each user's personal display device mayadjust the displayed media based on where the user is located in thegame (e.g., the user sitting in the back seat behind the driver will seethe back of the driver's head, or the user may see a different view ofthe outside world and of the other users' cars based on where the user'scar is located on the road). In some embodiments, the personal displaydevice may simulate the experience of playing in a first-person shootinggame, in which the personal display device may display the gameenvironment from the perspective of the user.

Electronic device 204 may include any suitable electronic device forsending media to personal display device 202. For example, electronicdevice 204 may include a media player such as an iPod available by AppleInc., of Cupertino, Calif., a cellular telephone, a personal e-mail ormessaging device (e.g., a Blackberry® or a Sidekick®), an iPhoneavailable from Apple Inc., pocket-sized personal computers such as aniPAQ Pocket PC available by Hewlett Packard Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif.,personal digital assistants (PDAs), a mobile communications device, atelevision system, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a gamingconsole, a cellular telephone, and any other device capable ofcommunicating with personal display device 202.

Personal display device 202 and electronic device 204 may communicateusing either a wireless communications network or a wired link. In someembodiments, a wireless communications network such as communicationsnetwork 206 may be used. Personal display device 202 may be coupled withelectronic device 204 in communications network 206 using any suitableapproach. For example, personal display device 202 and electronic device204, when located within communications network 206, may wirelesslycommunicate over a local wireless communication path such ascommunications link 208.

Any suitable circuitry, device, system or combination of these operativeto create a communications network may be used to create wirelesscommunication over communications link 208. For example, communicationsnetwork 206 may be capable of providing wireless communications usingany suitable short-range communications protocol. In some embodiments,communications network 206 may support, for example, Wi-Fi (e.g., a802.11 protocol), Bluetooth (registered trademark), high frequencysystems (e.g., 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, and 5.6 GHz communication systems),infrared, other relatively localized wireless communication protocol, orany combination thereof.

As another example, communications link 208 may be a wired link that iscoupled to both personal display device 202 and electronic device 204.As still another example, communications link 208 may include acombination of wired and wireless links (e.g., an accessory device forwirelessly communicating with personal display device 202 is coupled bya wire to electronic device 204). Any suitable connector, dongle ordocking station may be used to couple personal display device 202 andelectronic device 204. A more detailed discussion of a dongle or dockingstation that may be plugged into electronic device 204 may be found, forexample, in Fadell et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2004-0224638, filed Apr. 25, 2003, entitled “Media Player System,” whichis incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

FIG. 3 shows a simplified block diagram of an illustrative personaldisplay device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.Personal display device 300 may include sensors 302, processor 304,display generation circuitry 306, user interface 308, communicationscircuitry 310, memory 312, storage 314, input/output circuitry 316, andbus 318. In some embodiments, personal display device 300 may includemore than one of each component or circuitry, but for the sake ofillustration, only of each is shown in FIG. 3. In addition, one skilledin the art may appreciate that the functionality of certain componentsand circuitry may be combined or omitted and that additional componentsand circuitry, which are not shown in FIG. 3, may be included inpersonal display device 300.

Sensors 302 may include any sensors operative to measure a user'smovement. In some embodiments, sensors 302 may include sensors to detectthe user's head movements. Sensors 302 may include, for example, atleast one of an accelerometer, a position sensor, a gyroscope, adistance sensor, a biological sensor, a geodetic sensor, an opticalsensor, a video sensor, a RF sensor, or any other suitable sensor fordetecting the user's head movements. For example, accelerometers may beinstalled in personal display device 300 to detect and measure theuser's head movements.

In some embodiments, sensors 302 may include sensors operative to detectthe user's eye movements. Sensors 302 may include, for example, at leastone of an infrared sensor, an optical sensor, a light sensor, an imagesensor, a photocell sensor, a biological sensor, an artificial sensor,or any other suitable sensor for detecting the user's eye movements. Inaddition, one skilled in the art will appreciate that other sensorscapable of detecting movement or serving alternative functions (e.g.,proximity sensors for detecting the presence of nearby objects) may alsobe used in personal display device 300.

Processor 304 may include any digital module operative to receive andprocess sensor inputs from sensors 302, media from an electronic device,and user inputs from user interface 308. In addition, processor 304 mayprovide media to display generation circuitry 306. In some embodiments,processor 304 may allow personal display device 300 to adjust the mediadisplay. For example, processor 304 may be configured to digitallyincrease or decrease the resolution of the media display, distort themedia display, or crop the media display. As another example, processor304 may be configured to extract right and left media images from themedia provided for display in personal display device 300. In someembodiments, processor 304 may configure the right and left media imagesto create various effects. For example, processor 304 may configure theright and left media images to display media in full screen or in widescreen. In addition, the right and left media images may be treated oroffset such that the media is displayed to the user in three dimensions(3D).

Display generation circuitry 306 may include any optical moduleoperative to receive media (e.g., an image or a video signal) fromprocessor 304 and display the media to the user. For example, displaygeneration circuitry 306 may include one or more displays on which mediamay be displayed to the user. Display generation circuitry 306 may beoperative to display media using any suitable configuration. Forexample, display generation circuitry 306 may display media in standarddefinition, high definition, with a standard aspect ratio, with a wideaspect ratio, or any other suitable configuration. In some embodiments,display generation circuitry 306 may allow personal display device 300to optically or digitally adjust the media display without affecting themedia's resolution. Display generation circuitry 306 may be configuredto resize or otherwise modify the media display such that the mediaappears to be larger and displayed at a greater distance, or smaller anddisplayed at a lesser distance, than the actual distance betweenpersonal display device 300 and the user's eyes (e.g., displaygeneration circuitry 306 may modify the displayed media such that theviewer appears to be viewing the media from 4 meters away, and not 20millimeters).

In some embodiments, personal display device 300 may include severaldisplay generation circuitries 306. For example, processor 304 mayprovide a right media image to a first display generation circuitry, anda left media image to a second display generation circuitry. Processor304 may receive right and left media images from the media source (e.g.,an electronic device coupled to personal display device 300), or mayinstead or in addition extract (e.g., optically or digitally) right andleft media images from received media. The first and second displaygeneration circuitries may be operative to adjust (e.g., optically ordigitally) the media display for the user. One skilled in the art willappreciate that personal display device 300 may use any combination ofprocessor 304 and display generation circuitry 306 to adjust the mediadisplay.

User interface 308 may receive user inputs and provide the user inputsto processor 304. In some embodiments, user interface 308 may allow auser to control the selection of media, the playback of media displayedin personal display device 300 (e.g., fast forward, rewind, pause, next,or slow-motion), the volume of the media, playlist controls, luminosityof the display, or any other operation of personal display device 300.In some embodiments, user interface 308 may instead or in addition beoperative to control operations of an electronic device coupled topersonal display device 300. User interface 308 may include any suitableuser interface including, for example, a button, keypad, dial, clickwheel, touch screen, or multi-touch screen.

Communications circuitry 310 may include any circuitry for receivingdata from a remote source, such as the electronic device, over a wiredor wireless link. Communications circuitry 310 may support any number ofwireless communications protocols, such as Wi-Fi communications (e.g.,one of the 802.11 standards), Bluetooth, Nordic, high frequency systems(e.g., 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, and 5.6 GHz communication systems), short-rangeradio circuitry (e.g., walkie-talkie type circuitry), infrared,combinations thereof, or any other suitable communications protocol.

Memory 312 may store or cache media for display in personal displaydevice 300. Memory 312 may include one or more different types of memorywhich may be used for performing system functions. For example, memory312 may include cache, Flash, ROM, RAM, or one or more different typesof memory used for temporarily storing data. Memory may be specificallydedicated to storing firmware. For example, memory 312 may be providedfor storing firmware for system applications (e.g., operating system,user interface functions, and processor functions).

Storage 314 may locally store media on personal display device 300.Storage 314 may be, for example, one or more storage mediums, includingfor example, a hard-drive, flash memory, permanent memory such as ROM,any other suitable type of storage component, or any combinationthereof. Storage 314 may store, for example, media data (e.g., music andvideo files), application data (e.g., for implementing functions onpersonal display device 300), firmware, preference information data(e.g., media playback preferences), lifestyle information data (e.g.,food preferences), exercise information data (e.g., information obtainedby exercise monitoring equipment), transaction information data (e.g.,information such as credit card information), wireless connectioninformation data (e.g., information that may enable personal displaydevice 300 to establish a wireless connection), subscription informationdata (e.g., information that keeps track of podcasts or television showsor other media a user subscribes to), contact information data (e.g.,telephone numbers and email addresses), calendar information data, anyother suitable data, or any combination thereof.

Input/output circuitry 316 may be operative to receive, convert (andencode/decode, if necessary), and output data, analog signals and othersignals (e.g., physical contact inputs, physical movements from sensors302, analog audio signals, etc.) to and from digital data. In someembodiments, conversion may be necessary for transferring video or audiosignals between an electronic device and personal display device 300.The data may be provided to and received from processor 304, memory 312,storage 314, or any other component of personal display device 300.Although input/output circuitry 316 is illustrated in FIG. 3 as a singlecomponent of personal display device 300, a plurality of input/outputcircuitries 316 may be included in personal display device 300.Input/output circuitry 316 may be used to interface with any input oroutput component, such as those discussed in connection with FIG. 2. Forexample, personal display device 300 may include specialized inputcircuitry associated with input devices such as, for example, one ormore microphones, cameras, proximity sensors, accelerometers, infraredsensors, or any other suitable specialized input circuitry. In someembodiments, personal display device 300 may include specialized outputcircuitry associated with output devices such as, for example, one ormore speakers, circuitry for plugs for audio jacks, or any othersuitable specialized output circuitries.

Bus 318 may provide a data transfer path for transferring data to, from,or between sensors 302, processor 304, display generation circuitry 306,user interface 308, communications circuitry 310, memory 312, storage314, and input/output circuitry 316.

In some embodiments, personal display device 300 may include some or allof the components, functionality, or both of the electronic device. Forexample, personal display device 300 may include any electronic devicehardware, such as a processor, memory for storing media (e.g., ahard-drive, flash memory, permanent memory such as ROM, semi-permanentmemory such as RAM, or cache), or any other suitable hardware component.In some embodiments, personal display device 300 may be operative toperform the operations or functions of any suitable type of software orfirmware, such as for example operating system functions, user interfacefunctions, processor functions, video CODEC, audio CODEC, or any othersuitable software or firmware operation.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of an illustrative display screen forselecting a new configuration or viewing position in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention. As discussed previously, in someembodiments, display screen 400 can be configured to display 3D media.Display screen 400 may include zoom-in option 402, zoom-out option 404,done option 406, back option 408, and seat option 410 displayed, forexample, as overlays over the media display. Display screen 400 may bedisplayed when the user selects a new viewing position option using auser interface, such as user interface 308 (FIG. 3). The user interfacemay be incorporated into the personal display device, such as personaldisplay device 300 (FIG. 3), the electronic device, such as electronicdevice 204 (FIG. 2), or any combination thereof.

The user may select zoom-in option 402 to zoom in the displayed media.In some embodiments, the personal display device may use an opticalcomponent, such as an optical component incorporated in displaygeneration circuitry, to adjust the displayed media so that the screenappears closer to the user. For example, display generation circuitry306 (FIG. 3) may provide an optical component for adjusting the mediadisplay without modifying the resolution of the media. In someembodiments, the personal display device may make digital adjustments tothe displayed media, including for example digitally zooming in thedisplayed media. For example, a processor of the personal displaydevice, such as processor 304 (FIG. 3), may be operative to crop thedisplayed media and interpolate the cropped media display to theoriginal dimensions of the media display.

The user may select zoom-out option 404 to zoom out the displayed media.Similar to zoom-in option 402, the personal display device may use oneor both of optical and digital components to adjust the displayed media.For example, display generation circuitry 306 may provide an opticalcomponent for adjusting the media display without modifying theresolution of the media. As another example, a processor of the personaldisplay device, such as processor 304, may be operative to decrease theresolution of the displayed media to give the user the impression thatthe media is further away. In some embodiments, the personal displaydevice may provide limits to the amount a user can zoom a display in orout, for example to prevent the display from displaying a portion of themedia that is too small or too large to be viewed.

In some embodiments, if the user zooms out to the point where the mediano longer fills the entire media display region (e.g., the screen of thepersonal display device on which the media is displayed), the personaldisplay device may superimpose an overlay over a region adjacent theperiphery of the media. The overlay may include a black border, a movietheater wall, an outline of other viewers seated in the vicinity of theselected seat, a textual overlay, or any other suitable overlay.

As another example, the media provided to the personal display devicemay include several media items embedded in the same media. For example,using a split-screen approach (e.g., four media items, each taking upone quarter of the total screen size, where the periphery dimensions ofeach media item are the same), the electronic device may simultaneouslyprovide video for several programs or movies (e.g., as a mosaic ofseveral simultaneously displayed media items). Upon receiving a userselection of one of the programs or videos of the received media, thepersonal display device may zoom (e.g., automatically or in response toa user instruction) the display of the media to the portion of the mediaassociated with the selected program or video, mask (e.g., and providean overlay over) the portions of the media that do not include theselected program or video, zoom the display to view only the selectedprogram or video, or combinations of these. The personal display devicemay superimpose an overlay over the mask. The overlay may be atransparent overlay, a black border, a movie theater wall, an outline ofother viewers seated in the vicinity of the selected seat, or any othersuitable textual overlays.

In some embodiments, the personal display device may selectively zoomout and crop displayed media, or zoom out and mask a portion of thedisplayed media to add an overlay on displayed media. The personaldisplay processor may be operative to partially zoom out of the mediadisplay and crop the borders of the media display, which may reduce thescreen size and give an impression to the user that the screen isfarther away that it actually is. Any type of suitable overlays may beadded on top of the cropped region.

Once the user has finished adjusting the media display, the user mayselect done option 406 to save any adjustments that have been made. Inresponse to the user selecting done option 406, the media display mayremove the displayed options and display the media using the newconfiguration. If the user selects not to save any adjustments that havebeen made, the user may select back option 408. In response to a userselection of back option 408, the personal display device may remove theoverlay continue to display the media in the original configuration. Insome embodiments, the user may choose not to select a new viewingposition by not selecting any of zoom-in option 402, zoom-out option404, or seat option 410 for a period of time. The personal displaydevice may then remove the overlay after the period of time has elapsed.

In response to the user selecting seat option 410, the personal displaydevice may provide the user with an option for selecting a particularseat or location in a theater. In response to receiving a user selectionof a particular seat or location, the personal display device may modifythe displayed media to reflect the seating position selected by theuser. The personal display device may display any suitable option orseries of options for selecting a particular seat or location inresponse to a user selection of seat option 410. For example, thepersonal display device may display an image of a seating map in whichsome or all of the seats may be selected. FIG. 5 shows a schematic viewof an illustrative display screen for selecting seats in a theater inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention. In some embodiments,the personal display device may provide the user with an opportunity toview media as if the user were in a known theater, park or hall. Forexample, the personal display device may provide the user with anopportunity to view media associated with a baseball game as if the userwere in a baseball stadium (e.g., Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium).Display screen 500 may include listings 502 of selectable theaters forwhich representative information is stored on the personal displaydevice. As used herein, the term theater will be understood to includeany suitable movie theaters, performing art theaters, auditoriums,lecture halls, sports stadiums, or any other suitable environment forattending a performance. The user may select a listing 502 by placinghighlight region 504 over the listing.

The user may add a new theater to listings 502 by selecting add option506. In response to receiving a user selection of add option 506, thepersonal display device may allow the user to enter information for thenew theater. In some embodiments, the personal display device mayprovide an interface for the user to create a customized theater. Insome embodiments, the personal display device may access a database thatthe user may search to identify a particular theater. In response toreceiving a selection of a particular theater, the personal displaydevice may download a seating map and other information for the selectedparticular theater and store the information on the personal displaydevice, the electronic device, or both.

Once the user has selected a particular theater from listings 502, thepersonal display device may display a representation of the availableseats in seating map 508. The personal display device may identify theuser's current viewing position using current seat highlight 510. One ormore seats or sections of seating map 508 may be selectable, such thatin response to a selection of a particular seat, the displayed media maybe adjusted to reflect the selected seat. In response to receiving aselection of a seat or section using highlight region 512, the personaldisplay device may adjust the displayed media to provide a preview ofthe newly selected viewing position to the user. For example, the mediadisplay may be adjusted to simulate a viewing experience from any seatin a movie theater (e.g., a back left side seat, a middle-center seat,or a front-center seat). In addition, the personal display device mayoverlay or display elements of the selected theater on the display. Forexample, the personal display device may display the outline of anotheruser's head in a movie theater, or particular architecture of theselected theater. In some embodiments, the overlaid elements of thetheater may be operative to move to further enhance the user's viewingexperience (e.g., see a fan stand up and move at a sports stadium, orwatch a curtain open and close at the beginning and end of the media).

The personal display device may not be limited to changing theconfiguration of the media on a display. The personal display device mayinstead or in addition be operative to adjust any other parameter orconfiguration related to the media or to the user's experience. In someembodiments, the personal display device may adjust the audio outputalong with adjustments of the media display. For example, the personaldisplay device may provide audio effects specific to the theater orstadium selected by the user (e.g., acoustic effects and resonance ofCarnegie Hall, or crowd noises for Veterans Stadium).

In some embodiments, surround sound (e.g., Dolby Digital, DVD-Audio,Super Audio CD, MP3 Sound, and theatrical film 5.1 surround soundformats, etc.) integrated in the personal display device may be adjustedbased on the user's selected viewing position or any otherconfiguration. As a result, a user sitting in the front-center of themovie theater may hear sounds differently than a user sitting in theback left side or middle-center of the theater. As another example,audio may be louder if a user zooms in to the displayed media, andsofter if the user zooms out of the displayed media. Persons skilled inthe art will appreciate that any suitable type of audio adjustments,such as, for example, 3D sound effects or room equalization, can be madewhen a user selects different viewing positions in a theater.

Once the user is satisfied with the new viewing position, the user maypress done option 514. In response to the user selecting done option514, the personal display device may remove the displayed options anddisplay the media from the new viewing position. If the user does notwish to change viewing positions, the user may select back option 516 toreturn to display screen 400 (FIG. 4) or to remove the overlay andcontinue to display the media using the previous configuration orviewing position.

In response to a user request to display options for controlling theviewing position or configuration of the displayed media, the personaldisplay device may pause, stop or continue playback of the media. Insome embodiments, the personal display device may stop or pause playbackof media in response to receiving a user instruction to change theconfiguration of the media, and may display a preview of the media withthe changed configuration. For example, the personal display device mayplay back a few seconds of the media prior or after the playbackposition of the media when the instruction was received. In someembodiments, the personal display device may use the preview period topopulate a buffer of the media to which the new configuration isapplied. As another example, the personal display device may continue toplay back the media, and change the configuration of the media in realtime as the user selects different options. This approach may requiremore intensive processing power and memory than an approach in which thepersonal display device takes time for a buffer to populate.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that either personal displaydevice 300 (FIG. 3) or electronic device 204 (FIG. 2) can provideprocessing power to adjust the displayed media. For example, personaldisplay device 300 can use processor 304 to locally generate overlaysand alter the display. Persons skilled in the art will also appreciatethat the two devices can provide joint processing of the displayedmedia.

In some embodiments, depending on the content of the media that isdisplayed, personal display device 300 can dynamically adjust a user'sviewing position to an optimal location. For example, if a user iswatching a football game, personal display device 300 can adjust theuser's viewing position based on the location of the plays. In someembodiments, information for different viewing positions can be embeddedin the media, automatically determined by personal display device 300,or any combination thereof. For example, personal display device 300 candetermine based on video (e.g., yard markers on the field) and/or audioprocessing (e.g., the sportscaster's voice) where a football play isbeing made. In response to determining the location, personal displaydevice 300 can calculate the optimal viewing position andcorrespondingly adjust the viewing position for the user.

FIGS. 6A-6E show illustrative display screens of adjusted mediadisplayed by a personal display device in accordance with one embodimentof the invention. FIG. 6A is an illustrative display of media. Apersonal display device, such as personal display device 300 (FIG. 3),may display the selected media in display 600. Display 600 may be aninitial, unadjusted display of the selected media. FIG. 6B is anillustrative display of adjusted media. In some embodiments, the mediadisplayed in display 602 may be the same as the media displayed indisplay 600. The personal display device may adjust the displayed mediasuch that display 602 may include the media when it has been zoomed in.The user may zoom in the media display by selecting a zoom in option,such as zoom in option 402 (FIG. 4).

FIG. 6C is an illustrative display of adjusted media. In someembodiments, the media displayed in display 604 may be the same as themedia displayed in display 600. The personal display device may adjustthe displayed media such that display 604 may include the media when ithas been zoomed out. The user may zoom out the media display byselecting a zoom out option, such as zoom out option 402 (FIG. 4).

FIG. 6D is an illustrative display of adjusted media. In someembodiments, the media displayed in display 606 may be the same as themedia displayed in display 600. The personal display device may adjustthe displayed media such that display 606 may include the media when ithas been zoomed out and masked or cropped (e.g., as shown by overlayingborder 608). The user may zoom in the media display by selecting a zoomin option, such as zoom in option 402 (FIG. 4). The user may mask orcrop the media using any suitable approach, include for example byadjusting the configuration of the displayed media to reflect a theater.For example, the user may select the type of border 608 overlaid byselecting a particular theater, or by selecting a generic border that isnot specific to a particular theater or type of performance location(e.g., a black border representing a generic movie theater). In someembodiments, the personal display device may display an overlay, or maskor crop a portion of the displayed media independently of zooming thedisplay of the media.

FIG. 6E is an illustrative display of adjusted media. In someembodiments, the media displayed in display 610 may be the same as themedia displayed in display 600. The personal display device may adjustthe displayed media such that display 610 may include the media that hasbeen distorted to reflect the position of the user in a selectedtheater. For example, as shown in FIG. 6E, a display from theperspective of a seat in the left of a theater may appear curved asopposed to a display from the center the theater. The displayed mediamay be distorted using any suitable approach, including for exampledigitally or by using optical components. The user may select aparticular theater, particular seat or location in the theater, or bothusing any suitable approach, including for example seat option 410 (FIG.4).

In some embodiments, if several display generation circuitries are usedto display media, each display generation circuitry may display a mediaimage. The personal display device may combine all of the media imagesto produce the overall media display. In some embodiments, the personaldisplay device may adjust the displayed media while ensuring that themedia images produced by the display generation circuitries are alignedto maintain a coherent overall media display. For example, if thedisplayed media includes the sum of right and left media imagesgenerated by a processor, one or both of the processor and the displaygeneration circuitries may align the right and left images to provide anoptimal viewing experience.

FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of an illustrative process for adjusting themedia display in response to user inputs in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention. Process 700 may start at step 702. At step704, a personal display device, such as personal display device 300(FIG. 3), may receive media from an electronic device, such aselectronic device 204 (FIG. 2). At step 706, the personal display devicemay display the received media. For example, display generationcircuitry, such as display generation circuitry 306 (FIG. 3), maydisplay the media for the user. The personal display device may displaythe media using any suitable viewing position or configuration. Theinitial viewing position may be automatically generated by the personaldisplay device or previously set by the user.

At step 708, the personal display device may determine whether aninstruction to adjust the viewing position has been received. Forexample, a processor, such as processor 304 (FIG. 3), may determinewhether the user provided an instruction to adjust the viewing positionusing a user interface, such as user interface 308 (FIG. 3). Suitableinstructions may include, for example, a user selection of viewingposition options, such as those displayed in display screen 400 (FIG.4).

If, at step 708, the personal display device determines that a newviewing position has been selected, process 700 may move to step 710. Atstep 710, the personal display device may adjust the media display basedon the new viewing position. For example, the personal display devicemay adjust the configuration of the displayed media to zoom the media inor out, or to adjust the orientation of the user relative to the display(e.g., in response to receiving a user selection of a seat in a theaterfor viewing the media). Once the personal display device has adjustedthe displayed media, process 700 may proceed to step 712, where thepersonal display device may determine whether the end of the media hasbeen reached.

If, at step 708, the personal display device instead determines that anew viewing position has not been selected, process 700 may move to step712. At step 712, the personal display device may determine whether theend of the media has been reached. For example, the personal displaydevice may compare the current playback position of the media with thelength of the media. As another example, the processor may determinewhether a stop instruction has been received from the user. If, at step712, the personal display device determines that it has reached the endof the media, then process 700 may end at step 714. If the personaldisplay device instead determines that it has not reached the end of themedia, process 700 may return to step 708, where the personal displaydevice may continue to determine whether an instruction to adjust theviewing position of the displayed media has been received.

As the user zooms in the displayed media, or applies a theater aroundthe periphery of the media, portions of the media may not be displayedto the user at a given time. To allow the user to easily view portionsof the media that are hidden from view at a given time, the personaldisplay device may change the portions of the media that are shown inthe personal display device display based on movements of the user. Forexample, as the user moves his head, the personal display device mayadjust the portions of the media that are visible in the display tofollow the movement of the user's head. Similarly, the personal displaydevice may follow a user's eye movements to display different portionsof the media. One skilled in the art may appreciate that movements ofany other portion of the user's body may be used to adjust the portionof the media that is displayed. For simplicity, however, the followingdiscussion will be provided in the context of head movements.

As the personal display device changes the portion of the media that isdisplayed, the user's eye captures and retains the displayed media aftera slight delay with respect to the user's head movement. Accordingly, ifthe portion of the media displayed by the personal media device linearlyfollows the movements of the user's head without accounting for thisdelay, the user's eyes may be quickly fatigued, and the user's viewingexperience may be reduced.

FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of successive personal display devicedisplays displayed to reduce eye fatigue in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention. The personal display device may determinewhich portion of media 800 to display in the personal display devicedisplay (the size of which is depicted by displays 802, 804 and 806)using any suitable approach. For example, when media begins, thepersonal display device may display the center portion of the mediausing a default zoom or a zoom selected by the user. As the user moveshis head, sensors in the personal display device may be operative todetect and quantify the movement.

The personal display device may include any suitable sensor orcombinations of sensors for detecting the user's head movement. Forexample, the personal display device may include one or more sensors 302(FIG. 3). When a sensor detects movement, the sensor may be operative toprovide an output to a processor (e.g., processor 304, FIG. 3), whichmay extract different information about the head movement from thesensor output. For example, the processor may determine the direction,speed, amount, and rate (e.g., acceleration) of the user's headmovement. The processor may convert this information into any suitablestructure for further processing (e.g., by the processor or by displaygeneration circuitry), such as for example one or more vectorquantities. For example, the direction of the vector may define theorientation of the movement, and the length of the vector may define theamount or rate of the movement.

Using the processed sensor output, the processor or display generationcircuitry of the personal display device may adjust the portion of mediadisplayed based on the output. For example, in a linear model, thepersonal display device may adjust the portion of media displayed in amanner directly proportional with the one or more vector quantitiesdefining the head movement. As another example, the personal displaydevice may adjust the portion of media displayed in a manner related tothe amount by which the user's head was moved, but at a constant speed.As still another example, the personal display device may adjust theportion of media displayed by the same amount (e.g., relative to theoverall size of the media), but at a speed related to the speed of theuser's head movement.

In some embodiments, the personal display device may adjust thedisplayed media based on the amount of media that can be displayed atone time in the display. For example, if only a small portion of themedia can be displayed at a given time in the display (e.g., the mediais zoomed in), the personal display device may allow larger mediaadjustments for smaller head movements. Conversely, if a large portionof the media can be displayed at a given time in the display, thepersonal display device may allow smaller screen adjustments for largerhead movements.

In some embodiments, the personal display device may provide anon-linear relation between the user's head movements and adjustments tothe media display. For example, the personal media display may initiallyslowly move the portion of the media that is displayed, and subsequentlyaccelerate the movement of the displayed media before stopping at thefinal position (e.g., an elastic effect). As another example, thepersonal display device may initially delay moving the displayed mediain response to detecting movement of a user's head. As shown in FIG. 8,displays 802, 804 and 806 may depict successive portions of media 800that the personal display device may display in response to detecting ahead movement. In some embodiments, the time interval between displays802 and 804, and 804 and 806 may be the same, while the distance betweendisplays 802 and 804 may be smaller than the distance between displays804 and 806 (i.e., there may be more overlap between displays 802 and804 than 804 and 806). As the user moves his head, then, the portion ofmedia 800 shown in the personal display device display slowly moves fromthe portion of the media depicted by display 802 to the portion depictedby display 804, and subsequently more rapidly moves from the portion ofthe media depicted by display 804 to the portion depicted by display806.

When the media display has reached an edge or corner of the media, thedisplay may stop responding to user head movements in the direction ofthe corner or edge. In some embodiments, the display device may displayan overlay on a portion of media abutting the corner or edge to indicateto the user that the display has reached the edge of the media.

In some situations, the user may not want the media display to followthe user's head movements. For example, if the user is using personaldisplay device while flying, and the aircraft flies through turbulentair, the user may not wish the personal display device to move the mediaas the user is shaken. As another example, the user may be tired orotherwise unable to keep his head steady, and may not wish the personaldisplay device to adjust the media for smaller head movements. Toprevent the personal display device from inadvertently adjusting themedia display, the personal display device may be operative to ignoresensor outputs that do not exceed a minimum floor (e.g., representing aminimum head movement of interest to the personal display device). Insome embodiments, the processor may use image stabilization techniquesto ignore small head movements. Instead of, or in addition todisregarding smaller head movements, the personal display device mayinclude an option for enabling or disabling the adjusting of media basedon user head movements. For example, the personal display device mayinclude a user interface operative to receive an input to enable thefeature. The interface for enabling or disabling the adjusting of mediamay include any suitable mechanism for providing user inputs, includingfor example one or more buttons, switches, touchpads, or any other inputmechanisms. For example, the personal display device may ignore headmovements unless the user presses a button, or swipes the touchpad. Asanother example, the user may toggle the display adjustment feature bytoggling a button (e.g., a button on interface 112, FIG. 1).

FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of an illustrative process for adjusting themedia display of a personal display device in response to sensor outputsin accordance with one embodiment of the invention. Process 900 maystart at step 902. At step 904, a personal display device, such aspersonal display device 300 (FIG. 3), may receive media from anelectronic device, such as electronic device 204 (FIG. 2). At step 906,the personal display device may display the received media. For example,display generation circuitry, such as display generation circuitry 306(FIG. 3), may be operative to display the media for the user. The amountof the media displayed may include any suitable portion of the media,including for example an amount that is less than the available media(e.g., the perimeter of the displayed amount is less than the perimeterof the received media). For example, the user may only see the portionof media 800 that is in display 802 (FIG. 8).

At step 908, the personal display device may track user head movementsusing sensors. For example, one or more sensors incorporated in thepersonal display device (e.g., sensors 302, FIG. 3) may track user headmovements on one or more axes and may provide outputs representative ofthe user's head movements. A processor of the personal display device(e.g., processor 304, FIG. 3) may be operative to receive the sensoroutputs and extract head movement information. At step 910, the personaldisplay device may determine whether the sensors detected movement ofthe user's head. For example, the processor may determine whether theoutput received from the sensors exceeds a minimum floor. As anotherexample, the processor may determine whether the output received directsthe device to adjust the media display in a manner that cannot beadjusted (e.g., the media has already reached an edge or corner towardswhich the movement would have the media display move, or the availablemedia and the display are the same size). If the personal display devicedetermines that the sensors have not detected movement of the user'shead, process 900 may move to step 912.

At step 912, the personal display device may determine whether the endof the media has been reached. For example, the processor may comparethe currently playback position with the length of the media. As anotherexample, the processor may determine whether a stop instruction has beenreceived from the user. If the personal display device determines thatthe end of the media has been reached, process 900 may end at step 914.If, at step 912, the personal display device instead determines that theend of the media has not been reached, process 900 may return to step908, and the personal display device may continue to track user headmovements using the sensors.

If, at step 910, the personal display device instead determines that thesensors have detected movement of the user's head, process 900 may moveto step 916. At step 916, the personal display device may collect thesensor outputs. For example, the processor may store the sensor outputsin memory, or may provide the sensor outputs to the display generationcircuitry. At step 918, the personal display device may calculate theadjustment for the media display based on the sensor outputs. Forexample, the processor may convert the sensor outputs to one or morevectors. Using the sensor outputs, the processor may determine themanner (e.g., the amount and rate) in which the media display may beadjusted.

At step 920, the personal display device may adjust the media displaybased on the calculated adjustments of step 918. For example, thepersonal display device may successively change the portion of the mediathat is shown in the display. The adjustment may be related to the headmovement and sensor output using any suitable approach, including forexample a linear correlation and a non-linear correlation. In someembodiments, the personal display device may initially delay theadjustment of the media display in response to receiving the sensoroutput. Process 900 may then return to step 908, and the personaldisplay device may continue to track user head movements using thesensors.

One skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention can bepracticed by other than the described embodiments, which are presentedfor purposes of illustration and not of limitation, and the presentinvention is limited only by the claims which follow.

1.-6. (canceled)
 7. The method of claim 17, wherein the displaying mediafurther comprises displaying a left media image offset from a rightmedia image such that the user has the impression of viewing the mediain three dimensions. 8-9. (canceled)
 10. The personal display device ofclaim 12, wherein the output from the sensor comprises data identifyingat least one of the amount, direct, speed, and acceleration of theuser's head movement.
 11. The personal display device of claim 12,wherein the processor is further operative to receive the media from anelectronic device coupled to the personal display device.
 12. A personaldisplay device for automatically adjusting a media display of selectedmedia, comprising a processor, a display, and a sensor, the processoroperative to: receive a user selection of a perspective from which toview the media; adjust the media to reflect the selected perspective;direct the display to display the adjusted media; enable the sensor totrack user head movements; receive an output from the sensor indicatingthat the user moved his head; determine the manner in which to adjustthe displayed media based on the received sensor output; and direct thedisplay to adjust the media in the determined manner.
 13. The personaldisplay device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further operativeto enable the sensor to track the user head movements in response toreceiving a user input from a user interface.
 14. The personal displaydevice of claim 13, wherein the user interface comprises at least one ofa button, a switch, and a touchpad.
 15. The personal display device ofclaim 13, wherein the processor is further operative to disable thesensor from tracking the user head movements in response to receiving asecond user input from the user interface.
 16. The personal displaydevice of claim 12, wherein the processor is further operative toreceive a user selection to zoom the media.
 17. A method forautomatically adjusting a media display of selected media of a personaldisplay device, comprising: receiving, by a processor of the personaldisplay device, a user selection of a perspective from which to view themedia; adjusting the media to reflect the selected perspective;directing a display of the personal display device to display theadjusted media; enabling a sensor to track user head movements;receiving an output from the sensor indicating that the user moved hishead; determining the manner in which to adjust the displayed mediabased on the received sensor output; and directing the display to adjustthe media in the determined manner.
 18. The method of claim 17,comprising: enable the sensor to track the user head movements inresponse to receiving a user input from a user interface coupled to theprocessor.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the user interfacecomprises at least one of a button, a switch, and a touchpad.
 20. Themethod of claim 18, comprising: disabling the sensor from tracking theuser head movements in response to receiving a second user input fromthe user interface.
 21. The method of claim 17, comprising: receiving auser selection to zoom the media from a user interface coupled to theprocessor.
 22. The method of claim 17, wherein the output from thesensor comprises data identifying at least one of the amount, direct,speed, and acceleration of the user's head movement.
 23. The method ofclaim 17, comprising: receiving the media from an electronic devicecoupled to the personal display device.